A teenage driver who lost control of a high powered BMW during an illegal car meet in Annesley has been sentenced after admitting causing serious injury by dangerous driving. Harrison Cudworth, 19, of Ash Grove, Sutton-in-Ashfield was taking part in the car meet in the area around junction 27 of the M1 on 14 January last year.
Police say that Cudworth lost control of the BMW while he was attempting a manoeuvre. He struck three spectators who were stood along the A608. One woman, who turned up to watch drivers showing off after seeing a social media post, was thrown backwards into a bush. She suffered a broken pelvis and had to have corrective surgery. Two other people suffered minor injuries.
Appearing before a judge at Nottingham Crown Court yesterday (Tuesday), Cudworth was sentenced to two years and two months in a young offender institution.
The area around junction 27 is a regular haunt for the illegal car meets. Ashfield District Council has a Public Space Protection Order in force in the area, which allows officers to take enforcement action against vehicles engaged in anti-social behaviour, including making excessive noise, driving in convoy and accelerating aggressively.
A public consultation on extending the powers to the whole of Ashfield district has just closed and a decision will be taken by councillors in the coming months.
“The standard of driving displayed by Cudworth was appalling”, DI Kate Savage of Nottinghamshire Police said. “It appears he was showing off by copying other drivers and lost control close to a group of people who had gathered to watch the car meet.
“One of the spectators suffered nasty injuries and was fortunate not to be even more seriously hurt.
“This incident shows car meets of this type can be extremely dangerous places for both drivers and spectators. We would always warn anyone against attending these types of gatherings.
“As a wider issue in our communities, we take car cruising and associated antisocial behaviour very seriously as a force. We know these meets can have a negative impact on people living nearby and other road users.
“We frequently take part in proactive enforcement and engagement work to prevent and reduce such problems in hotspot areas of Nottinghamshire. The message is clear. We will not tolerate people who break the law, cause misery for others, and drive vehicles in a manner that puts other road users, and themselves, at risk of serious injury or death.”
